Genealogy Chat

Could anyone tell me why it would say on a birth certificate Fathers Name 'Joe Bloggs', then underneath that it states 'by declaration'. This is the 5th child of a marriage. I could understand it if it were an unmarried couple, but why when the parents have been married 8 years prior to the birth. There is no doubting paternity as the son is the spit double of the father. Thanks Dianne xx

I have a vague recollection of reading that although births are supposed to be registered in the district they took place you can nowadays go to a register office in another district and register . Could be this?

Hi Judith Good thinking, but the birth was registered in the town where the baby was born. The family however lived in a village about 10 miles away from the town where the maternity hospital and register office were. I can't give too much info as this is fairly modern day stuff, a birth in the 1960s, the parents marriage in the 1950's. I wonder if the mother registered the birth from the hospital bed without the husband being present, although I seem to remember the registrar only started to visit that hospital in the 1970's. Dianne xx

Going to bed now. I will pop back in the morning to see if anyone has had any more ideas. Thanks.

Suggest you phone your registry office and ask but I think it is when the father registers the birth and mum is not there. C

Our daughter was born in 1958 and hubby registered her birth whilst i was still in hospital and that phrase doesnt appear on her birth cert. When did he register the birth? if it was very quickly and he hadnt got the slip of paper the hospital gave out which gave details of the birth and was signed by the midwife who delivered ,then that may be the reason .Or the registrar hadnt received his copy so took the paper on trust and registered but with that fact recorded I know hubby was turned away first because he had the hospital paper but the Registrar hadnt got his copy, he was told to come back in a couple of days.

Bureaucrats I luv em! I was far away and overseas for the births or our four! C

I understand this differently. Although it is/was usual to register a birth in person it is possible to obtain a declaration form and register in absence. In this case the form was completed by the father. PS Cannot find evidence that this is/was possible.

Are you absolutely certain that the parents were married (i.e. do you have the marriage certificate)? The following is taken from the GRO website as one of the ways to register a birth and have the father's name on the certificate if the parents ARE NOT married:- **if the father is unable to go to the register office with the mother, but you still want his details included, then he can make a statutory declaration on form 16 (or form 16W for births which took place in Wales) acknowledging his paternity, which the mother must give to the registrar.** Kath. x

my stepfather was born 20/12/1946 his birth was registered 03/01/1946 by his father but has under his fathers name as per declaration 31/12/1946. he was born in newcastle upon tyne but the family lived in blyth northumberland. approx 20 miles apart. dawn

In that case Dianne this is another way of registering a birth with the father's details included, but again if the parents are NOT married:- **if the mother is unable to go to the register office with the father, she may make a statutory declaration acknowledging the father's paternity on the same form(s) as above, which the father can give to the registrar.** Kath. x

Hi everyone Thank you very much for all your replies. There are some very good answers here. I am wondering though if Jim may be the correct one and that it may have been done on a form and sent through the post to the register office. The parents were definitely married, they got married 29th Dceember 1956 in York. As they lived in an outlying area to where the register office is it makes sense. Also I know they didn't have much money to spare so it would save on the bus fares to and fro. Dianne xx

Hi there,my eldest also has this on her birth certificate...maybe of some use? although we were not married i wanted my ex partners name on her birth cert but he was not willing to come to the register office with me for one thing and another. so i had to goto the register office tell them my problem and they gave me a form which has to be signed by the partner infront of a solicitor/legal person and this is then printed out on the birth certificate when i sign my part. could it be the father was away or unable to sign/perhaps seperated so the declaration was made hope you find your answers soon regards cherie.x

Dianne, Google - father+by+declaration Worth a look as there are some clues as to why it is on the birth certificate, you will need to scroll down a bit before you fine what may explain it. Gill After posting this I remembered that my son born 1960 had a 'short' birth certificate. I have just got a copy from him and am surprised that my name is not on it let alone his father's. I checked with my friend who was in the hospital at the same time and her daughter had one the same. We remembered the registrar coming round the ward to see if we wanted to register the births which we did. Her daughter got a full one when she married so it is possible to get a 'proper' one even after so long. Gill